Escape to Europe ...And... Pack Your First Aid Kit

Musala Peak, Bulgaria

Have you seen the commercial from American Express where this woman is traveling through Europe solo?  If you didn’t, let me fill you in.  She is having an amazing vacation (which of course American Express is making possible).  She is exploring the sites, acquiring interesting friends and enduring memories.  It all looks so breezy and marvelously fun.  I can attest to the fact that traveling solo is a wondrous experience.  I have just returned from a partially solo trip to Bulgaria, in which I spent the first five days hiking in two of the country’s national parks on my own.  I met truly interesting people, took in breathtaking sites, ate delectable foods… and got really sick, twice. 

Personal Experience

The first instance was my fault.  I am extremely lactose intolerant- but decided I just had to have the Bulgarian strained yogurt with fruit compote on top.  The first two times I indulged, I escaped without injury since it was made with sheep’s milk.  My third time I paid an incredibly high price.  That day I had hiked 11 miles along a river bird watching (yes, I am one of those people. AND! I have an app to keep track of my life list). 

I returned to my hotel and was taking in my beautiful view from my balcony when I felt the first hint that something wasn’t right.  Shortly thereafter I had my first vomiting session.  I finally could pull myself out of the bathroom and duly curse myself for my stupidity.  I then dug through my bag and pulled out my first aid kit. Inside was a thermometer, packets of electrolytes, covid test kit, meclizine (Dramamine), Tylenol, Ibuprofen, zinc, and loperamide. 

Oddly enough when I eat food that I am intolerant or allergic to I almost always have a temperature, and sure enough I was at 100 degrees and climbing.  I emptied the electrolytes into a bottle of water and sipped as much as my cramping stomach would allow. 

Different Healthcare Systems

Bulgaria is in Europe, but it isn’t France or Germany.  The healthcare system here does not have any form of EMTALA (the law that says no hospital can turn away emergent patients regardless of financial ability to pay).  I had purchased a travel health insurance plan, but I decided I wasn’t at the point of needing to go to the 24-hour clinic down the street.  My kit saved me from that fate.  I can’t say it would have been horrible, but being able to avoid any Emergency Department in any country is, I believe, always a win.    

Without giving too many details I was unwell until the offending yogurt was upended from my stomach.  I kept up the slow sipping of electrolyte mix and administered Tylenol for the fever and meclizine to ease the headache and dizzy feeling. I never needed the loperamide, and I am also grateful for this.  I made a swift recovery and was able to drive to Sofia, 2 hours away.   I was out of commission for one day, and I can report that I never touched the yogurt again.  To those of you not lactose intolerant, I would recommend this tasty treat.

Delicious Bulgarian yogurt with fruit compote

COVID and Other Respiratory Infections Are Always a Possibility

I continued on with my vacation and really enjoyed all that Sofia had to offer.  Nine days later after a train ride to the Black Sea, I woke up with a stuffy head and a fever (using my handy thermometer again).  This time I pulled out my covid rapid test and the little positive line jumped out bright pink within ten seconds of the solution touching the test strip.  Once again, I took Tylenol, and this time had to add Ibuprofen to reduce my fever.  I started on the zinc, which doesn’t kill the virus, but is instrumental in decreasing the mucous, and stops the spread of the virus. 

I took one day to nurse myself in the apartment keeping the windows open to decrease the viral load and get good airflow. The day that followed was filled with lounging on the beach and swimming in the salty waters of the Black Sea.  The following day I flew back to the US.  I was tired and had the sniffles but was mostly recovered.  And yes, I was afebrile x24 hours and wore my mask the whole LONG flight home. 

Being Prepared- Even When Unexpected

Being prepared for an unexpected illness on our travels isn’t glamorous.  Realistically though, we are comingling with a sizeable amount of people, touching countless germ-ridden surfaces and fantastically sleep deprived from jetlag 😒.  Don’t let a little thing like a microbe ruin all the planning, daydreaming, and money you have invested in your adventures.

P.S. As a helpful hint, if you are looking for acetaminophen outside the US, it is usually called paracetamol.